CS Matiang'i defends KCSE results, reforms in sector

Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has defended the results of last year’s Form Four exams as a true reflection of the candidates' performance.

The CS said it was not a must that all Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates score minimum university admission requirement.

Dr Matiang'i said candidates who scored below C pus can join middle-level colleges and vocational institutions for diploma and certificate before they can further their studies.

He spoke yesterday during commissioning of this year’s Wings To Fly scholarships at Kenyatta University.

At least nine students, supported by the programme, were among the 142 who scored grade A plain in last year's exams.

Only about 70,000 out of 610,000 candidates scored C plus and above.

Equity Bank chief executive officer James Mwangi (pictured) said another 107 candidates scored A minus.

He said the bank would hire all students who score grades A plain and A minus in a Sh45,000 paid internship.

The other 133 A plain scorers and best girl and boy in every county will also be absorbed in the internship programme.

The Wings To Fly programme was started in 2011 and has supported more than 19,000 learners.

About 8,144 Wings To Fly beneficiaries have sat KCSE in the past five years, with 6,828 out of them joining university. This year, 1,000 students have been offered scholarships.

Mr Mwangi asked the CS to ensure day schools get enough resources to enable learners to compete well with their counterparts in national schools, which are well equipped.

Matiang'i's remarks came against the backdrop of demands by Kenya Union of Post Primary the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary General Akello Misori to have the minimum admission requirement lowered to C plain, citing poor performance in the national exams.

“This pathway (university path) has been overemphasised in Kenya and an illusion has been created that this is a superior education pathway. This illusion has led to a greater demand for a university degree and an overemphasis on attainment of a C+ and above in the KCSE examination as the only qualification for success in life,” said Matiang’i.

He said learners with Grades C and C- can be admitted into a diploma programmes and later proceed to undertake undergraduate programmes.

Those with Grades D and D+, he said, can be admitted into certificate programmes and later pursue diploma then undergraduate studies.

“Learners who have attained a D- and E can join vocational training institutions and later progress to certificate, diploma and degree programmes,” he explained.